We’re
Exactly
Like
You
Date:
7/13/2008
Psalm
112
Galatians
3.23-29
Series:
Oh,
The
Faiths
You
Can
Think!
The
Theology
of
Dr.
Seuss
Delivered
by:
Dr
William
M.
Smutz
LISTENING
POINTS:
*The
stories
of
Theodore
Gissel
–
Dr.
Seuss
–
speak
on
many
different
levels,
to
many
different
audiences.
*His
stories
encourage
healthy
behaviors
and
thinking
and
relationships,
regardless
of
one’s
age.
*For
we
who
are
trying
hard
to
live
as
disciples
of
Jesus,
the
behaviors
and
thinking
and
relationships
encouraged
by
Dr.
Seuss
can
even
be
understood
as
faithful!
*Seuss’
theology
–
his
understanding
of
God
and
how
God
wants
us
to
live
–
demands
our
attention…..and,
is
a
lot
of
fun!
*The
community
that
Jesus
gathered
around
him
during
his
three
years
of
active
ministry
was
very
egalitarian
in
nature
–
he
understood
and
treated
men
and
women
as
equal.
*In
what
was
a
radical
departure
from
the
societal
norms
of
the
day,
women
had
significant
leadership
roles
in
Jesus’
community.
*Unfortunately,
as
the
church
spread
around
the
Mediterranean
world
in
the
centuries
after
Jesus’
death,
it
encountered
cultures
where
women
were
accorded
little
or
no
status.
*In
these
places
the
egalitarian
nature
of
the
earliest
disciples
was
suppressed,
often
by
church
leaders,
so
that
the
church
would
be
acceptable.
*The
letters
of
the
Apostle
Paul
are
the
earliest
writings
contained
in
the
New
Testament
about
Jesus
and
the
community
that
grew
up
around
him.
*Throughout
his
writings
–
today’s
lesson
being
one
–
Paul
describes
with
some
passion
how
the
church
is
to
be
a
place
where
people
are
equal
to
one
another,
regardless
of
race
or
social
status
or
gender.
*Galatians
3.23-29……Hear
now
God’s
Word
for
God’s
people:
*************************************************************
Several
years
ago
as
the
weather
started
to
turn
cool
in
late
October,
I
began
seeing
lots
of
the
kids
at
my
son,
Jacob’s,
grade
school
wearing
brightly
colored
hooded
sweatshirts
with
an
unusual
but
distinctive
logo
on
them.
The
logo
is
two
intertwined
letters
–
a
“U”
and
an
“A”,
which
is
the
symbol
for
the
brand
of
sportsware
known
as
‘Under
Armor’.
Well, the further it got into the fall, and the colder the weather became, the more of these sweatshirts appeared….. Until nearly every boy, and many of the girls, were walking around with that distinctive intertwined “U” and “A” on the front of them. There was great excitement, and a bit of relief, in our household when an Under Armor sweatshirt appeared under the Christmas Tree for Jacob…… and he could finally look like his classmates!
It’s
funny
how
we,
regardless
of
age,
like
to
mark
ourselves
with
similar
brands.
I
remember
way
back
when
I
was
in
college,
how
first
everyone
had
to
have
a
sweater
with
the
little
Izod
alligator
on
it…..
And
then
the
next
year
everyone
wanted
a
shirt
with
the
little
horse
and
polo
player
stitched
on
the
front.
Growing
up
in
There
is
something
about
being
part
of
the
group
–
being
physically
identified
as
part
of
the
group
–
that
is
comforting
for
us;
that
is
necessary
for
us;
that
offers
identity,
and
even
protection
for
us.
Similar
clothes
or
markings
help
us
to
know
who
is
with
us,
and
who
is
not;
who
is
on
our
side,
and
who
is
the
enemy;
whom
we
should
trust,
and
whom
we
should
fear.
The
Sneetches
by
Dr.
Seuss,
our
other
text
for
today,
is
the
story
of
creatures
who
are
exactly
alike,
except
that
some
have
stars
on
their
bellies,
and
some
do
not.
Those
who
have
the
stars
assume
that
they
are
the
best
kind
of
Sneetches;
and
that
those
without
stars
are
the
worst.
And
what
is
really
sad,
is
that
the
Sneetches
without
stars
go
along
with
it;
they
believe
that
because
they
don’t
have
stars
on
their
bellies,
they
aren’t
as
good
as
the
Sneetches
that
do.
And
because
the
Sneetches
with
the
stars
on
their
bellies
think
they
are
the
best,
they
are
mean
to
the
Sneetches
without
stars;
they
won’t
play
with
them;
won’t
talk
to
them;
won’t
eat
with
them.
And
this
division
between
Sneetches
with
stars
and
Sneetches
without
stars
goes
on
until
one
day
a
stranger
appears
with
a
machine
that
will
put
a
star
on
a
Sneetches
belly.
All
the
Sneetches
without
stars
line
up
and
pay
three
dollars
to
go
through
the
machine
and
get
a
star
on
their
belly.
Well,
when
they
do
that,
all
the
Sneetches
that
had
stars
from
the
start
get
very
upset;
their
specialness
is
threatened…..
So
the
stranger
tells
them
about
another
machine
of
his
that
removes
belly
stars…..
And
then
all
the
Sneetches
that
had
been
so
proud
of
their
stars
pay
ten
dollars
each
to
have
the
star
removed.
Well,
when
the
Sneetches
who
got
stars
put
on
their
bellies,
saw
that
now
having
a
star
was
out
of
fashion,
they
paid
more
money
to
go
through
the
machine
that
removes
stars…..
And
then
the
Sneetches
who
originally
had
stars,
but
paid
to
have
them
taken
off,
decided
to
have
new
stars
put
on
their
bellies…..
And
then,
as
you
might
imagine,
chaos
ensued!
The
Sneetches
were
so
busy
having
stars
taken
off
and
put
on,
that
after
awhile
they
forgot
if
they
were
born
with
our
without
a
star
on
their
belly.
And
when
they
ran
out
of
money,
and
couldn’t
afford
any
more
trips
through
the
star-off
or
the
star-on
machines,
the
Sneetches
decided
that
they
were
all
the
same;
that
none
of
them
were
better,
and
none
of
them
were
worse,
that
stars
really
didn’t
matter
at
all…..
And
that
was
the
day
that
all
the
Sneetches
became
friends
and
treated
each
other
equally!
The
copyright
on
The
Sneetches
is
1961;
and
when
I
think
about
this
publication
date
in
light
of
what
was
going
on
in
our
country
at
that
time
–
the
pain
and
turmoil
of
the
Civil
Rights
Movement
–
I
am
struck
by
the
courage
of
Dr.
Seuss,
and
by
the
prophetic
voice
–
against
the
waste
and
stupidity
of
racism
–
he
dared
to
raise
up!
The
Apostle
Paul
in
our
New
Testament
lesson
understood
the
waters
of
baptism
as
the
team
jersey
for
Christians
–
baptism
makes
us
one
in
Christ;
baptism
marks
us
as
belonging
to
each
other.
And
even
more
than
putting
us
on
the
same
team,
Paul
believed
that
the
waters
of
baptism
were
a
great
equalizer;
that
when
we
put
on
Christ,
when
we
become
a
disciple
of
Jesus
by
being
baptized,
that
all
our
differences
don’t
matter
any
more.
Now,
Paul
also
knew
that
the
differences
don’t
go
away.
We’re
still
female
or
male.
Our
skin
is
still
the
same
color.
We
still
look
different;
and
have
different
ideas;
and
different
ways
of
doing
things.
The
differences
don’t
go
away
in
baptism;
but
as
baptized
members
of
God’s
household,
we’re
now
on
the
same
team,
and
the
differences
just
aren’t
important
any
more….
Because
when
we
say
we
want
to
be
a
disciple
of
Jesus,
and
are
baptized,
we
choose
to
follow
the
words
and
actions
of
Jesus….
And
through
his
life
and
teachings
Jesus
tells
us
over
and
over
again
that
because
God
made
us,
we
are
good…..
And
when
we
look
at
other
people,
we’re
not
to
see
how
they
are
different
from
us;
we
are
to
see
their
goodness;
to
see
that,
just
like
us,
they
too
are
children
of
God.
Jesus
teaches
us
that
as
fellow
children
of
God,
as
members
of
the
same
team,
we
are
to
look
out
for
each
other,
and
care
for
each
other,
and
help
each
other,
and
not
see
ourselves
as
better
than
each
other…..
And
we’re
to
do
this
not
just
for
other
Christians;
but
for
all
people,
everywhere
–
because
we’re
exactly
like
them!
If
you
want
to
follow
me,
Jesus
says,
then
you
have
to
serve
all
people;
not
just
the
ones
you
like;
not
just
your
Christian
teammates,
but
all
people!
Like
the
Sneetches,
we
human
beings
tend
to
separate
ourselves;
tend
to
divide
ourselves
into
groups
–
with
some
groups
always
claiming
to
be
better
than
other
groups.
Because
of
this
reality,
I
think
we
must
identify
the
belly
stars
we
use
to
keep
ourselves
separated
from
others
today:
What
are
the
belly
stars
that
we
use
to
make
us
feel
distinct…..superior……better?
Skin
color?
The
amount
of
money
we
have?
Where
we
live?
The
clothes
we
wear?
The
politics
we
practice?
The
school
we
attend?
The
way
we
look?
How
we
worship
God?
Our
homework
this
week
is
to
pick
one
of
the
things
we
use
to
set
ourselves
apart
from
others
–
one
of
our
belly
stars
–
and
get
rid
of
it.
Instead
of
seeing
one
skin
color
as
better
than
all
the
rest,
we
remember
that
we
are
all
‘good’
in
God’s
eyes.
Instead
of
viewing
people
who
go
to
our
school
as
superior
to
all
others,
let
us
be
glad
everyone
has
a
school
to
go
to.
Instead
of
thinking
that
people
with
different
ideas
about
faith
or
politics
are
wrong
or
stupid
and
should
be
ignored,
let
us
realize
and
celebrate
how
much
we
have
in
common
with
one
another.
It
wasn’t
until
the
Sneetches
had
spent
all
their
time
and
energy
and
money
trying
to
prove
that
they
were
better
than
each
other……
It
wasn’t
until
they
were
exhausted
mentally,
physically
and
spiritually,
that
they
realized
that
no
one
of
them
was
better
or
worse
than
any
other.
In
the
waters
of
baptism,
we
are
forever
reminded
of
our
oneness
in
Jesus
Christ,
and
that
God
created
us
all
equally…..
And
in
the
waters
of
baptism
we
are
saved
from
having
to
waste
all
our
resources
vainly
attempting
to
prove
we
are
something
that
we
are
not!
“For
as
many
of
you
as
were
baptized
into
Christ
have
clothed
yourselves
with
Christ.
There
is
no
longer
Jew
or
Greek,
there
is
no
longer
slave
or
free,
there
is
no
longer
male
or
female;
there
is
no
longer
belly
star
or
not;
for
all
of
you
are
one
in
Christ
Jesus.”
Amen!!!